Filial Responsibility Expectations Among Mexican American Undergraduates: Gender and Biculturalism

Abstract

How Mexican American college students perceive responsibility for parental care is important as Mexican American elders’ numbers increase. The authors applied mixed methods to investigate the impact of gender and biculturalism within this group. Two hundred and eighty-six Mexican American undergraduates completed the Hamon Filial Responsibility Scale. Twenty others participated in focus groups. Females endorsed filial responsibility expectations at higher rates than males, but biculturalism influenced more change in elder care expectations among males.

Caregiving Practice Patterns of Asian, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White American Family Caregivers of Older Adults Across Generations

“…However, results in the opposite direction were found among Asian and Hispanic caregivers, indicating that 3rd generation Asian and Hispanic caregivers compared to their 1st generation counterparts, appeared to spend more hours. This pattern is consistent with some previous studies (Crist et al 2009;Kobayashi and Funk 2010;Rudolph et al 2011), and may be an indicator that traditional filial practices persist across generations, despite acculturation.…”

“…When controlling for sociodemographic variables and examining racial/ ethnic groups separately, only a comparison between 3rd generation non-Hispanic White caregivers and their 1st generation counterparts showed expected results, 3rd generation non-Hispanic White caregivers utilized significantly more respite care services compared to their 1st generation counterparts (p < .05). This finding was surprising because previous studies have shown some support for the researcher's hypothesis across these three racial/ethnic groups (Jolicoeur and Madden 2002;Rudolph et al 2011;Snowden and Yamada 2005;Young et al 2002). In contrast, 3rd generation Asian and Hispanic American caregivers used less respite care compared to 1st generation counterparts.…”

“…Snowden and Yamada (2005) found an association between acculturation and help-seeking attitudes, reporting that U.S.-born Mexican-Americans are more likely to use health care professionals compared to Mexico-born counterparts. Rudolph et al (2011) reported that Mexican-American female college students strongly endorsed filial responsibility; however, an American (Western) education influenced filial attitudes of a later generation (2nd generation) of MexicanAmerican female students endorsing both individualistic and collectivistic values. Jolicoeur and Madden's study (2002) compared more acculturated caregivers (2nd generation Englishspeaking Mexican-Americans) with less acculturated counterparts (1st generation Spanishspeaking Mexican caregivers).…”

“…Studies of Hispanic American caregivers' caregiving attitudes of filial responsibility in relation to their acculturation and assimilation to U.S. society are limited (Rudolph et al 2011); however, some evidence of changes by generation has been reported. Snowden and Yamada (2005) found an association between acculturation and help-seeking attitudes, reporting that U.S.-born Mexican-Americans are more likely to use health care professionals compared to Mexico-born counterparts.…”

Association of Filial Responsibility, Ethnicity, and Acculturation Among Japanese American Family Caregivers of Older Adults

“…Supporting this hypothesis are studies that have found behavioral changes, such as less frequent contact and less likelihood to live nearby, between 1st and later generations of Asian (Ishii-Kuntz, 1997) and Hispanic caregivers (Rudolph, Chavez, Quintana, & Salinas, 2011; Rudolph et al, 2005). Subsequently, some researchers have raised questions about the needs of the next generations of caregivers and how these may differ from past generations (Anngela-Cole & Hilton, 2009; Kobayashi & Funk, 2010).…”